Railway hatch covers and locking means therefor



Dec, 23, 1947. w. A. BEAUCHAMP RAILWAY HATCH COVERS AND LOCKING MEANS THEREFOR F'iwled May ll, .1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec.I 23, 1947. n w. A. BEAUCHAMP 2,433,084

RAILWAY HATCH COVERS AND LOCKING MEANS THEREFOR FiledMay 11, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. Z3, 1947 `RAILWAY .HATCH .COVERS AND LOCKING S 'THEREFOR `iWilfredA. Beauchamp, Chicago, "Ill.,' assigner to The 'Youngstown :Steel Door `Company, 'Cleveland, .0hio, .a corporationsiof .Ohio

'Applcation'May '11, 1944, Serial Nm-535,17 6

4 Claims. l

This invention relates torailway hatch covers and Qlockingmeans therefor and more particularly to lhatch .covers for covered rail-way hopper cars.

.It is `an :object of this invention to provide hatch covers `which shallbe effectivelysealed.

A Yfurther object is to provide .hatch =covers embodying 'iiexible sealing `rneans Iwherein the covers and sealing means vare so .associatedwith the hatch frameszthat` the sealing :means is flexed sufliciently .to provide effective seals fWhile the weight of the covers is carried by the fframes independently of the `sealing means.

:A .further object is'to provide locking means iorseries of hatch covers of coveredhopper-cars which shall provide more direct .locking pressure and 4a substantial reduction in torsion stresses.

A further object is to provide locking means fork series yof hatch covers of railway hopper .cars wherein the locking means is svvingable .away from .and toward the covers toiurnish more idirect locking ,pressure and a-substantialreduction in torsion stresses andthe locking means is automaticallyswung toward the covers during actuation to llocking position.

.A `further `object is to provide locking Ameans for series of hatch-.covers Whichoshall furnishza more secure and uniform fasteningthan theretofore obtained by locking devices of this class.

Other objects of the inventionpwill become .clear as the'description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of :this .sp'ecication:

Fig. lis Aa fragmentaryfplan viewsofaovered railway hopper car showing locking means fembodying the instant invention in locking relationship with a series of hatch covers on the 'carzroo Fig. -2 is a vertical section takenon vlineL2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken .on line.;3'3 of Fig. ,1.

Fig. Llisa vertical section :taken on :line .p4-#.4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical :section taken ion line VE---li of Fig. 1.

Fig. `6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 'showing the swinging of the locking. means toward-the hatch covers during actuation of the .locking means to locking position. t

'Fig. 7 is -ani-enlarged sectional view 0f `.onelisicl'e of `a hatch ,cover showing `one form :of :sealing means.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7'showing another form .of sealing means.

L-Referringto the drawngstheinumeral .I Il ,des-

ignates-a portion o'fa roof vstructure for a covered railway hopper car designated generally `by numeral il. Fig. 1 illustrates a portion only of the roo'f ystructure and it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the portion of the roof structure on the opposite side lof the running bboard I2 is similar in construction to the portion of -the roof structure illustrated.

"The roof structure embodies metallic sheets I3 extending across the car and supported at their eaves fends uponside platesfone of which is indicated at lill. A plurality of hatches I5 are formed in the metallic sheets `I3 of the roof TIB. Figjl of the drawings shows four of such hatches but it is Ato 'be understood that more or less may be utilizedfand that the-spacing of said'hatchesmay be as desired, A hatch frame IE is securedto the roo'isheets 13 around each of thehatches I5. As illustrated each fhatch frame is formed `of angle members Il having one leg I8 secured upon the roof sheets I3 and the other leg I8 extending upwardly from the roof in 'order to .provide supports fior yhatch :covers 2li hereinafter described. The hatch frame t6 is substantially rectangular inroutline so as to conform to the outline of the hatches. `An angle member 2| is secured to the upstanding leg IBaround the `.frame 'I6 .adjacent t'otheupper edge of the Aframeinsucha manner that one-'leg'22 lextends outwardly "from the hatch frame for .a purpose which `will 'hereinafter appear.

Vltach hatclrfrarne is provided with va `cover '20 preferably formed'of sheet metal so as to provide a body portion .23 and a `depending peripheral flange `Q Ixwhich lies outwardly of the horizontal leg 22.01 the angle member .2l when'the cover `is in fclos'edzposition. lEach cover is swingably supported zupon Tits hatch franieby means of a plurality of brackets :25. iEach `bracket which is preferably in the form of :acasting is formed with 'spaced 'ears 2li-.21 betweenwhich the .eye portion 28 `of fa hinge `strap 29 isadapted to be received. :A rivet :3G passing through `the ears ZG-Z'I-andthe eye 28 :ofthe'hin'ge strap p-ivotally secures 'thestrap to the bracket.

fAn `angle ,member 3l `is fastened around the inside .ofthe `depending .peripheral flange `2420i each cover i2. The'ang'le member 3| is so disposed v.that i'it `presents ia Aleg 3.2 `directed 'toward the upstanding leg yI9 fof .the hatch frame and lies'above landin spaced `relationzto the leg '2210i the angle member 121. A -eiible 'sealing-strip 33, preferably Vformed of metal, `is secured `around the `depending peripheral .flange .24 of reach cover ybetween lfsaid iaange .and the `angle V inernber 1.31..

3 The sealing strip is formed with a portion 34 which abuts the underside of the leg 32 of the angle member 3| and with a freely extending flange 35 spaced below the leg 32.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 3 of the drawings that in the final closing movement of the hatch covers the freely extending flange 35 of the sealing strip 33 will engage and be flexed by the outwardly extending leg 22 of the angle member 2| thereby establishing an effective seal for the hatch covers. However, While sufficient pressure between the sealing strip and the leg 22 is provided in order to establish a seal, the weight of the cover when in closed position is not carried by the sealing strip but by the sturdier hatch frame. Possible damage to the light sealing strip is thereby obviated Means is provided to lock the series of hatch covers in closed position. To this end a, plurality of Z-shaped clips 36 are secured to the depending peripheral flange along the swinging edge of the cover as more clearly shown in Fig, 3 of the drawings. The Z-shaped clips 36 are so arranged that one flange 31 thereof extends outwardly from the peripheral flange so as to serve as a somewhat flexible locking abutment.

A shaft 38 extends across the series of hatches in spaced relation to the swinging edges of the hatch covers. The shaft 38 is rotatably supported by a plurality of standards 39 each of which is pivotally supported, as indicated at 48, between the vertical flanges 4| of a pair of angle clips. The standards 39 are swingable about their pivots away from and toward the hatch covers so as to carry the shaft 38 away from and toward the locking abutments 31 of the Z-shaped clips 36. Eccentrically mounted upon the shaft 38 so as to rotate therewith are a plurality of cams 42 which are adapted to cooperate with the locking abutments 31, as hereinafter explained, in order to lock the hatch covers.

Rotation of the shaft 38 and swinging movement of the standards 39 away from the closure member is obtained by means of a lever 43 fastened to the shaft. At the end of this swinging movement the lever 43 will assume the position indicated by the dot and dash lines shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The lever 43 is supported in this position by means of a bracket 44 fastened to the leg I8 of the angle member I1. The bracket member 44 embodies a base 45, an upstanding portion 46, and a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 41. The latter portion is cut away as indicated at 48 so as to provide a shoulder 49 against which the lever 43 is adapted to rest when it has been moved to its fullest extent away from the hatch covers. In this position of the lever it will be observed that the free end of the lever overlaps the portion 41 of the bracket 44 below the cope 48.

Additional brackets 5D may be secured through their base 5I to the leg I8 of the angle member I1. Each of these brackets is formed with an upstanding portion 52 and with a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 53. An intermediate section of the portion 53 is out away, as indicated at 54, so as to provide a shoulder 55 adapted to engage and limit outward movement of a finger 56 xedly secured upon the shaft 38.

When the covers 20 are in open position the standards 39 and the shaft 38 carried thereby are swung outwardly as shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The covers 29 may then be swung to their closed position where they are supported upon the hatch frames I6.

In order to lock the covers 20 in closed position the handle end of the lever 43 is grasped and the lever pulled toward the hinged edges of the closures. In this movement of the lever its free end will abut against the downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 41 of the bracket 44 so as to impart swinging movement to the standards 39 and to the shaft 38 carried thereby. At the same time, the fingers 56 will fulcrum upon the downwardly and inwardly inclined portions 53 of the brackets 52 so as to aid in imparting swinging movement to the standards and to the shaft. Such swinging movement positions the cams 42 above the locking abutments 31 of the Z-shaped clips 36 whereupon continued pull upon the lever 43 will impart rotation to the shaft 38 and to the cams 42 mounted thereon. By reason of the instant invention rotation of the cams 42 will establish contact between them and the locking abutments 31 at points in close proximity to a plane at right angles to the roof structure and including the axis of rotation of the shaft 38. By Virtue of such contact the amount of torque imposed upon the shaft 38 is substantially reduced so that the torsional stresses set up in the shaft are materially decreased. It follows that accurate and effective locking engagement between the cams 42 and the locking abutments 31 is secured and maintained. When the covers are locked, the lever is fastened in position by means 0f a fastener indicated generally by the reference numeral 51.

A modified form of seal is illustrated in Fig, 8 of the drawings. In this form a flexible sealing strip 58 is secured between the angle member 2| and the upstanding leg I9 of the angle member I6. The strip 58 embodies an outwardly extending flange 59 which is deformed so as to provide a downwardly and outwardly extending flange 66. In this formof the invention, moreover, the depending peripheral flange 24 of the hatch cover is bent downwardly and outwardly to provide a ange 6I which when the covers are closed engages and flexes the downwardly and outwardly extending flange 60 of the sealing strip in order to provide an effective seal for the cover. As in the previously described sealing construction the weight of the cover is carried by the hatch frame.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a covered railway hopper car having a roof, a series of hatches in said roof, a hatch frame secured around each hatch, a series of pivotally mounted covers for said frames, a shaft extending in front of said series of covers, pivotally mounted standards rotatably supporting said shaft for movement toward and away from said covers, a plurality of cams mounted on said shaft. and means for rotating said shaft and said cams and establishing locking engagement of said cams with said covers after said standards have been moved toward said covers, said locking engagement occurring in close proximity to the plane at right angles to said roof and including the axis of rotation o-f said shaft so as to substantially reduce the torque in said shaft,

2. In a covered railway hopper car having a roof, a series of hatches in said roof, a hatch frame secured around each hatch, a series of pivotally mounted covers for said frames, a shaft extending in front of said series of covers, pivotally mounted standards rotatably supporting said shaft for movement toward and away from said covers, a plurality of cams mounted on said shaft, a lever mounted on said shaft, and an abutment secured to said roof, said lever being operable to engage said abutment for swinging said standards toward said covers, said lever being operable also to rotate said shaft and cams to establish locking engagement of said cams with said covers, said locking engagement occurring in close proximity to the plane at right angles to said roof including the axis of rotation of said shaft so as to substantially reduce the torque in said shaft.

3. In a covered railway hopper car having a roof, a series of hatches in said roof, a hatch frame secured 'around each hatch, a series of pivotally mounted covers for said frames, a shaft extending in front of said series of covers, pivotally mounted standards rotatably supporting said shaft for movement toward and away from said covers, 'a plurality of cams mounted on said shaft, a lever mounted on said shaft, and an abutment secured to said roof, said lever being operable to engage said abutment for swinging said standards toward said covers, said lever being operable also to rotate said shaft and cams to establish locking engagement of said cams with said covers, said locking engagement occurring in close proximity to the plane at right angles to said roof including the axis of rotation of said shaft so as to substantially reduce the torque in said shaft,

said abutment being operable by said lever to limit swinging movement of said standards away from said covers.

4. In a covered railway hopper car having a roof, a series of hatches in said roof, a hatch frame secured around each hatch, a series of pivotally mounted covers for said frames, 'a shaft extending in front of said series of covers, pivotally mounted standards rotatably supporting said shaft for movement toward and away from said covers, a plurality of cams mounted on said shaft, ngers mounted on said shaft, spaced abutments secured to said roof, a lever mounted on said shaft in spaced relation to said fingers, said lever and said fingers being operable to engage said abutments for swinging said standards toward said covers, said lever being operable also to rotate said shaft and cams to establish locking engagement of said cams with said covers, said locking engagement occurring in close proximity to the plane at right angles to said roof including the axis of rotation of'said shaft so as to substantially reduce the torque in said rod.

WILFRED A. BEAUCHAMIP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name vDate 2,077,845 Madsen Apr. 20, 1937 2,226,683 wolf et a1 Dec. 31, 1940 2,336,566 Pellnitz Dec, 14, 1943 

